SPRINGFIELD – Investigators continued to probe Friday a string of arson fires that plagued the Liberty Heights neighborhood.

“We are working on it,” Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said. “The actual sifting through the rubble is done, they have looked at everything. Now, they do the paperwork end. Who owns the properties? Who are the insurance companies? Who could profit from this? Then, they start knocking on doors.”

Leger said accelerant was not used in any of the six fires that damaged five properties Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

The properties, most of them vacant, are all located within a quarter-mile of each other.

A firefighter suffered a lacerated hand while fighting one of the fires. Otherwise, no injuries were reported.

Pauline Bajek, who has lived at 89 Wait St. for most of her life, said Friday she was disturbed to hear of the small fire that was set near her house.

“I think it’s a shame,” the 76-year-old Bajek said. “I have lived here close to 50 years. My children want me to vacate which I cannot see because I have roots here. I grew up here, I raised three children here, I have never had any problems.”

Although Fire Department reports stated that the fire at 89-91 Wait St. was set in a pile of leaves and rubbish, Bajek insisted it was strictly leaves, in bags and in a barrel, that she had left out for collection that night.

Bajek said the fire could have spread to cars parked nearby. “Then we could have had a real mess. Lord only knows what could have happened if it escalated.

Even so, Bajek said “I am not really afraid, I know everybody around. It shakes you.”

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the fire and police departments will be provided whatever resources are necessary for a thorough, “round-the-clock” investigation of the fires.

Officer Charles L. Youmans, spokesman for Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said police are conducting saturation patrols throughout the neighborhood as the probe continues.

“Just to make sure everything is running smoothly, just to be out there so people can feel more confident,” Youmans said.

View full sizePhoto by George Graham / The RepublicanThis vacant home at 54-56 Home St. is one of the ones hit by fire Wednesday night. The fires began shortly after 7:20 p.m. at 24 Van Horn Place. Leger said firefighters found a burning mattress leaning against the side of the abandoned home.

After 8 p.m. firefighters responded to two separate fires on Home Street. One occurred at 9 Home St. and caused $10,000 in damage to the first floor of the house.

The second fire, at 54-56 Home St., started in the kitchen, spread to the hallway and gutted the first floor, causing between $30,000 and $40,000 in damage, Leger said.

Leger said fire broke out again shortly after 2:40 a.m. in a pile of rubbish and leaves at 91 Wait St. The house was not damaged.

Less than five minutes later, fire was reported in a garage at 504 Newbury St. The blaze, which occurred at the only occupied property in the string of fires, destroyed the garage and a 2001 Toyota Camry which was parked inside, Leger said.

The loss of the garage, and damage to the newly-paved driveway at 504 Newbury St., tallied to about $20,000, Leger said.

At about the same time, fire damaged a nearby vacant garage at 16-18 Denton Circle. Leger said he did not know if second garage fire spread from the first, or if it represented a separate fire.

Christina Staples lives next door to one of the properties, 54-56 Home St., that burned in the spree.

“We were very scared,” Staples said, pointing to some blackened trees not far from the roof line of her home at 60 Home St.

“You see those trees?” Staples said. “If that progressed, it could have caught our house on fire.”

Even more scary is the thought that those responsible for the fires may start more blazes.

“What if they come back?” Staples said. “What if they come back and my dog is in the house?”

In December, in a span of less than two hours, the Northampton Fire Department responded to nine structure and vehicle fires. One of the fires claimed the lives of a father and son. Many Northampton residents lived in fear of another strike until a suspect was arrested.

Anthony P. Baye pleaded innocent last month to two counts of murder and 42 other charges stemming from the fires that panicked the city.

The only injury connected to the Springfield fires reported was a cut hand for firefighter John F. Russell. He was treated and released from Baystate Medical Center, Leger said.

The situation Wednesday caused David A. Wells, president of the International Association of Firefighters, local 648, to issue a statement charging that chronic personnel shortages in the firefighting ranks leaves city firefighters and residents at risk.

In particular, Wells took issue with the closest engine company, Ladder 9, being out of service during the fires because there were not the minimum number of three firefighters available to staff it.

Ladder 9 is stationed at the Raymond P. Sullivan Public Safety Complex, 1212 Carew St., roughly three quarters of a mile from the scene of the fires.

Wells said the ladder company was out of service 84 percent of the time since the start of the year due to personnel shortages.

“We understand the economic condition of the city and budget cuts, (but) we need to hire more firefighters. That’s the bottom line,” he said.

City Fire Commissioner Gary Cassanelli said Thursday night that there is no disagreement between himself, the union and the mayor’s office when it comes to personnel and funding; each agrees the department is shorthanded.

Cassanelli said the department has not yet recovered from major layoffs in 1989 and 2003. The department has gone from 425 total firefighters to around 260, he said.

When the city faced a reduction in state aid last year and city departments were instructed to look for ways to reduce spending, Cassanelli said he concentrated on reducing overtime rather than enacting layoffs and rank demotions.

That meant reducing times when Ladder 9, the city’s arson and bomb squad, and other companies were fully staffed.

“It’s been spread throughout the city,” he said.

He said Ladder 9 has been down 75 percent of the time since Jan. 1, but that number will likely rise during the summer when people start taking vacations. He said he has met with the mayor several times about restoring funds to allow full coverage with Ladder 9. “It’s been my number one priority,” he said.

The Springfield fires began shortly after 7:20 p.m. at 24 Van Horn Place. Leger said firefighters found a burning mattress leaning against the side of the abandoned home.

After 8 p.m. firefighters responded to two separate fires on Home Street. One occurred at 9 Home St. and caused $10,000 in damage to the first floor of the house.

The second fire, at 54-56 Home St., started in the kitchen, spread to the hallway and gutted the first floor, causing between $30,000 and $40,000 in damage, Leger said.

“That one was going pretty good,” Leger said.

Leger said the fire broke out again shortly after 2:40 a.m. in a pile of rubbish and leaves at 91 Wait St. The house was not damaged.

Less than five minutes later, fire was reported in a garage at 504 Newbury St. The blaze, which occurred at the only occupied property in the string of fires, destroyed the garage and a 2001 Toyota Camry which was parked inside, Leger said.

The loss of the garage and damage to the newly paved driveway tallied to about $20,000, Leger said.

At about the same time, fire damaged a nearby vacant garage at 16-18 Denton Circle. Leger said he did not know if second garage fire spread from the first, or if it represented a separate fire.

The owners of the properties, according to city records, are as follows:

The property at 24 Van Horn Place is in tax title for taxes and interest totaling $20,705 owed for fiscal years 2003-2009, according to city tax records. An additional $1,948 is overdue for this fiscal year, and a petition for foreclosure is before the Land Court.

Taxes are paid to date for the other residential properties.

Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said funds have been approved by the mayor for extended patrols in the neighborhood.

Cassanelli said he is confident those responsible for the fires will be identified and prosecuted.

“I’m sure that given enough time and enough resources they will bring the people responsible for these incidents to justice,” Cassanelli said. “I think it’s pretty obvious to everyone that these are arson-related crimes and they will be investigated and prosecuted as such. Arson is a heinous, heinous crime.”

Staples said her parents have lived at 60 Home St. for some 30 years and were friendly with some of the people who owned 54-56 Home St. years ago.

“They really took good care of it,” Staples said. “My parents are devastated.”